On March 17th, the Wanamingo Honor Guard joined forces with the lady quilters of the area to honor Beverly Griesert for her service to our country. What is a Quilt of Valor? It is a physical tribute to those who have served in any one of the military operations in America.
Any veteran with an honorable discharge or active-duty service persons can be nominated for this honor. The quilts are an expression of gratitude for the time the nominee has spent in the military. Once nominated, a Quilt of Valor committee decides on the approval of the nominee, and the quilt making begins. There are organizations all over the country who get together and sew quilts for our veterans.
There is a lot that goes into this project. There are donations given to the quilt makers to purchase the material, batting, and thread to make the quilts. Every operation is different, but generally the quilters make the quilt tops at home, and when they are done with the quilt tops, the ladies get together to do the actual quilting. They seek out a space to set up the quilt rack, and the assembly begins. All the quilts I've ever seen being given were the traditional red, white and blue colors of our American flag. The southeast chapter of Quilts of Valor in our area have gifted hundreds of quilts all over the country since this project was started in 2018! The ladies in our community who worked on the quilt presented to Bev were her sisters, all avid quilters, Wanda Frieler, Vicki Arvidson and Cindy Rostamo.
The ceremony begins with a pledge of allegiance and a prayer. As the honored guest is told why they are receiving the quilt, another person wraps the quilt around the shoulders of the person being gifted. It is like being given a hug, and to say thank you for your service, sacrifice and valor in your service to our country. After the ceremony, cake was served, and people could mingle and congratulate Beverly on being honored. I was able to attend one ceremony a few years ago, and the emotions that came from all in attendance was incredible. You could feel the pride of the families who had their family members being honored, and the gratitude of the honorees.
This event, sponsored by the Wanamingo Honor Guard, was held at the Wanamingo Quamme Post 186 meeting. Beverly said, "The service is like a family. I've made so many good friends over the years, and had the opportunity to experience different countries."
"Beverly has had some amazing experiences," said Wanda Frieler. "She has been to Korea and Germany, and even met Bob Hope when she was a part of his VIP escort team overseas. We are so proud of her."
One of the duties she volunteers for is driving veterans to the Minneapolis VA Center. "I can't think of a better honor for such a dedicated veteran and volunteer," says Gary Floan."Bev's commitment to serve has been vital to so many veterans in our country. A well deserved honor for 20 years of service, and the time she has dedicated to volunteering. She has continued to support area veterans and the VFW. We greatly appreciate her service and dedication."
"Bev is committed to volunteering her free time to honor those who have served. I am thankful for her dedication and willingness to learn the etiquette we strongly uphold at the graveside and other public functions. We couldn't ask for more," said Eric Dierks, the Wanamingo Veteran Honor Guard Commander.
We at the Messenger would like to add our congratulations and thanks to Beverly for all she has done and continues to do for our military. If you know of someone you feel should be gifted for their time in service to our country, you may nominate them by getting ahold of someone in the Honor Guard to find out who the members of the committee are, and submit your request. Or you can go online to www.qovf.org, or www.quiltsofhonor.org. Let someone you know who has been touched by war be recognized in this special way for their service. You'll be glad you did!
